Dr. Ellis Soto is a David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellow and a Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California Berkeley. His research sits at the intersection of spatial ecology, global change biology, conservation, and environmental data science. He develops ecological forecasting and conservation decision support methodologies that integrate biodiversity data with remote sensing and anthropogenic variables.
In particular, he researches how animals move across the world in response to human activities and climate change, particularly dynamic human mobility patterns and extreme heat events. Another aspect of his work is explores the human histories behind digital biodiversity data in the age of big data.
His fieldwork is based in the Galapagos Archipelago, complemented by data analysis from field biologists and participatory scientists worldwide. He contributes to numerous state, national and global efforts fostering human-wildlife coexistence and supporting biodiversity targets.
His work has appeared on numerous venues, including Forbes, New York Times, NPR, Science, Nature, and televised documentaries and podcasts by the BBC.
Education
BS, Environmental Biosciences, University of Trier, Germany
MSc, Biological Sciences, University of Konstanz, Germany
MSc, Yale University, Yale University, USA
PhD, Yale University, Yale University, USA
